Jingmei Jiying Temple Introduction
Jingmei Old Street's Jiying Temple was originally built in the bamboo enclosure of Jingwei and is dedicated to the local deities of Anxi County, Quanzhou, Fujian Province—Bayi Zunwang Zhang Xun and Bayi Dafu Xu Yuan. Due to poor feng shui, the temple was relocated to Lower Street of Jingwei in 1867 (the 6th year of the Tongzhi era), which is the current site. Four hundred years ago, immigrants from Anxi came to Taipei, many of whom were tea farmers, so they chose the humid hillside of Wenshan to cultivate tea, bringing along their local protective deities such as Bayi Zunwang, Bayi Dafu, and Qingshui Ancestor. At that time, the main surnames among the immigrants were Gao, Zhang, and Lin. As time passed, the population gradually increased, and the land cultivated extended from Jingmei to Muzha, Shenkeng, and Shiding. Naturally, the number of people worshipping the local deities from Anxi also grew, leading to the expansion of Jiying Temple into three locations, with the Gao Jiying Temple in Jingmei Market being one of them. This temple has a sense of history from Jingmei Old Street and is designated as a Category III historic site. Its exterior and interior are quite solemn, with numerous wall decorations and exquisite stone carvings. Additionally, the corridor exhibits beautiful wooden aesthetics, and the wooden windows and structure exude an ancient atmosphere, blending seamlessly with the old street of Jingmei.
